Bottle with lid

Small bottle with lid. Wheel-thrown vessel with depressed pear-shaped body rising from flat, splayed foot; tapering elongated neck ending in large cupped rim. Lid with jewel-shaped knob sits inside the rim. Heavy for its size.
Clay: porcelain, chalky white.
Glaze: transparent, crackled, ivory-toned, greenish where thicker. Ends unevenly above unglazed foot (silhouettes of two fingertips where piece was held to be dipped into glaze). Lid glazed on top and edges, somewhat abraded around knob.

Historical period(s)
Tang dynasty, 8th century
Medium
Porcelain with ivory-toned clear glaze
Dimensions
H x Diam: 8.1 × 6.3 cm (3 3/16 × 2 1/2 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1984.19a-d
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bottle

Keywords
China, porcelain, Tang dynasty (618 - 907)
Provenance

To 1982
Helen D. Ling (died 1982), Shanghai and Singapore, to 1982 [1]

From 1982 to 1984
Dr. Tien Gi Ling, Singapore, bequeathed by Helen D. Ling in 1982 [2]

From 1984
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Dr. Tien Gi Ling in 1984 [3]

Notes:

[1] Helen Dalling Ling operated The Green Dragon antiques shop in Shanghai from 1938 to 1950, and a shop under her own name in Singapore from 1951 to 1982. According to the information supplied by Dr. Ling, this object was in Mrs. Ling's general collection and was probably collected in Singapore (see Curatorial Note 5 in the object record).

[2] According to Curatorial Note 5 in the object record.

[3] Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Mr. Tien Gi Ling
Helen D. Ling died 1982

Description

Small bottle with lid. Wheel-thrown vessel with depressed pear-shaped body rising from flat, splayed foot; tapering elongated neck ending in large cupped rim. Lid with jewel-shaped knob sits inside the rim. Heavy for its size.
Clay: porcelain, chalky white.
Glaze: transparent, crackled, ivory-toned, greenish where thicker. Ends unevenly above unglazed foot (silhouettes of two fingertips where piece was held to be dipped into glaze). Lid glazed on top and edges, somewhat abraded around knob.

Published References
  • Sarah Booth. The Freer's Rare Catch: Gallery Acquires 30 Flawless Ancient Chinese Ceramics. Washington, May 23, 1984. p. B2.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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